Our Past

Our history begins in 1785 when the original house was built. A.E. Ford, an industrialist from Philadelphia, bought the property in the late 1800’s as a summer residence. Ford embellished the property with a large addition and interior moldings, as well as creating a 7,000 tree orchard filled with peaches and apples. Ford lived in the house until the 1950’s, when it was purchased by Nancy Riser, VMD. Riser was one of the first female veterinarians in the country. She lived in the farmhouse, raised goats in the barn, and used the carriage house (now Rockdale Music School) as her veterinary office until the 1980’s. The property was then purchased by George and Shirley Cornog, who added the 4,000 sq ft shop at the top of the property and used the barn as an antique shop.

In 2004, Hillwood Farm was purchased by the current owners, Kim and Jerry Fink. They have received The Heritage Award from the Heritage Commission of Delaware County for their continued preservation efforts to this historic property. The barn, located next to Sage Farmhouse, is home to Advanced Engineering and Makin’ Music, businesses owned and operated by Jerry and Kim.